A native Texan, who treasures family, books, and Texas brisket. He is the Co-Founder + CEO of the social networking app Nawkr and
Co-Founder + Editor-in-Chief of Dallasyte
Re-branding Dallas one narrative at a time.
@nawkr1 @dallasyte1 @vonarmen

Dallas in 2017, A Sneak Peak

First, A Quick Glance Back at 2016

“I very frequently get the question: 'What's going to change in the next 10 years?' And that is a very interesting question; it's a very common one. I almost never get the question: 'What's not going to change in the next 10 years?' And I submit to you that that second question is actually the more important of the two -- because you can build a business strategy around the things that are stable in time…” - Jeff Bezos, Amazon
There is no way to avoid the inevitable mention of Trump. I’ll be brief. Yes, he will be President, no, the world will not (or should not) revolve around his every tweet. The new guard is in town, and things will change, good or bad.
We lost many icons of entertainment and popular culture. Bowie, Prince, Michael & John Glenn, just to name a few.
The Cowboys are back! Zeke & Dak have made (pardon the expression) the Dallas Cowboys great again.
Migration to DFW went berserk. Big business is making Dallas and the surrounding areas home, creating many jobs, and transforming the landscape throughout.
Plenty of “look back” articles and shows will be made about 2016, so enough of that. We’re more interested in what’s to come in 2017.

What Stays The Same

People
People will keep coming. This means that the economy throughout DFW will remain strong. In the 2016 CNBC Global CFO Council measure, Texas ranked 2nd among states for its business climate.
More people means more business opportunity, especially for new companies. This trend will continue. New and young firms employ roughly one-third of all employees. The Texas rate of new business formation will continue to be above the national average.
Optimism will encourage more and more entrepreneurs to go out on their own. Co-working spaces will benefit from this growth. While the opportunity for them will increase, so will the competition. WeWork (Uptown & soon to open Downtown locations) and Spaces are two recent entrants into this space. While not new, they are aggressively pursuing growth in Dallas, in an attempt to unseat local incumbents such as The DEC, Common Desk, Fort Work, & GeniusDen.
Culture
The literary scene will be in Fuego. Deep Vellum Books & it’s sister company Deep Vellum Publishing continue to receive accolades for their work. Entropy Magazine recently rated Deep Vellum Publishing one of the best Publishers for 2016. Deep Ellum as a whole will see incredible growth. Its eclectic vibe and come-as-you-are identity will continue to draw businesses and entrepreneurs that express authenticity in their work.
Not too far away in Oak Cliff, The Wild Detectives continues its ascent. The cultural landmark in the Bishop Arts District has become a Dallas favorite. From Shakespearean plays to startup launch parties, this Bookstore effortlessly transforms itself to host cultural events aplenty. Look for this team, led by brand director Andres de la Huertas to continue to innovate in this space.

What Will Be Different

“In a world that’s changing so quickly, the biggest risk you can take is not taking any risk.” - Peter Thiel
While it’s challenging to predict specifics, here are a few predictions based on a hunch. The first, and perhaps boldest prediction is (gasp), the Cowboys will win the Super Bowl, over the New England Patriots. Dallas will have an electric 2017.
Innovation
Tech will see the light of day it deserves. We’ve had big winners in the past, but we’re due for something big...perhaps even a Unicorn (a startup valued at >$1 billion). I have seen enough entrepreneurs hustling & building rad businesses behind the scenes that this isn’t too far of a stretch in my view.
To continue the tech theme, more and more startups will call Dallas home. Already Snap, Inc., made it’s way to Dallas in 2016.
Media will be transformed (really transformed). It’s time. New platforms, new content formats, and new players will change what you read/view and how your read/view it.
You will be relevant again. Let’s face it, if your name isn’t Mark Cuban, you probably struggle to get more than a few likes when you tweet. Instagram is similar, we even see many local “influencers” buying followers to create an image of relevance - ridiculous. In 2017 this will change - exposure and relevance will be in the hands of the authentic creators.
Housing
The cost of renting will fall - just a bit. This is arguably the boldest prediction. My reasoning - supply, just supply. The number of Uptown apartment units newly built or being built is astronomical.
How you buy and sell your home will change. Realtors will stop getting away with simply plastering their face on billboards. New tech and pressure from new ways of doing business will lead to a change in the industry. Door, Toor, and a slew of innovating realtors are hungry to change the game. This bodes will for future homeowners.
Dallasyte
Final prediction - Dallasyte will become your go-to local media darling (shameless, I know).
Whatever happens, 2017 is upon us - let's make Dallas better than ever. Get to work y’all!